Hi Everyone.
A short note to share some news, express thanks, discuss upcoming work, and offer a value proposition.
First off, Autonomous Truck(er)s would like to thank all of my readers and subscribers for sticking with me this long - it’s been 10 months since I launched this little project of critiquing the narrative merchants and regulatory slime making truckers lives difficult, and last week I hit 500 subscribers. I really can’t begin to tell you how much it means to me that 500 of you think what I write and podcast is worthwhile. It’s been interesting seeing this little project grow, and finding fellow travelers who share the same concerns, or are at least interested in what I have to say.
I’m not a professional writer, I barely finished high school, and I can only really put out what I do on the margins of my time. Being a working trucker and father to two beautiful though very young daughters is time consuming, and a challenge for the best of us; again, I want to thank you for your patience as I go through stretches of fairly minimal output. There is, however, quite a bit I’m planning on sending down the pipe, and I look forward to sharing it all with you in due time.
This Substack has racked up some successes thus far - the folks at the Bloomberg Media podcast ‘Odd Lots’ liked what I had to say, and invited me on to their show -
And my man Todd Dills over at Overdrive Magazine enjoyed the interview I gave with Chace Barber of Edison Motors so much that he asked to incorporate a substantial chunk of it into their own podcast, Overdrive Radio.
Speaking of the podcast, Voice Of GO(r)D now has 27 episodes under its belt, 3 more in the process of editing, and another 2 dozen or so confirmed guests awaiting time to record. I honestly thought I’d be lucky to get 12 or 15 shows out the door, a few discussions with various writers and other interesting cats who have been on my radar for awhile. Though the numbers are modest, people seem to dig the show, and I have no problem booking the most interesting people in the business, and a few outside of it looking in. To all of my guests and listeners, thank you very much for making this show what it is - without you it is nothing, and I am deeply grateful.
As I have mentioned on the show, the podcast is freely given, I take no advertisements, and intend to keep it that way. Given that my marketing budget is effectively zero, and I’ve been turfed from Twitter for a third time (more will be discussed about that later) I continue to depend on word of mouth as my primary marketing tool. The more you guys share it, the more of an audience develops, and the more guests I can convince to come on the show. The attention economy is a funny bastard, and when no money is actually involved, we have to rely on what my South African friend Brett refers to as ‘the Bush Telegraph.’
Another funny thing happened last week which I did not expect, is that two of you have made pledges to become paid subscribers to Autonomous Truck(er)s. I did not yet have a paid subscription tier enabled, but this development, over and above some encouragement I have received from other quarters (Hi Mike Lombard and Reed Loustalot), and, to put it bluntly, financial need, have given me pause to consider making that option available to those of you whom derive value from my writings. I’m not one to beg or borrow money - the only debts I’ve ever had were one mortgage, a pickup truck loan when I was 18, and a line of credit - but if people think what I do is worth it, and are willing to contribute towards this project, maybe I should stop being a proud bastard and accept.
With this in mind, I will open up subscriptions to those interested, but I have to preface that there is no guarantee of anything more than what I’m already doing, at least for now. I still work on average 55-65 hours a week, and have a family to contend with; the only reason I have had time to write this weekend is because of the July 4th holiday. If I get enough subscribers that I could reduce my work week from 5 days to 4, or somehow organize a different gig that was supplemented by those subscribers, I would consider dedicating time to higher quality output for those paid subscribers.
I would be absolutely floored if more of you came through on this ‘Value for Value’ proposition, and would put in my best efforts to create more value for you.
From now forward, anyone can subscribe at $8/month or $80/year, or become a Founding Member, whatever that is, for $150. I think I set things up so you can donate whatever you wish, but be patient, as I have never done this before, and who knows how it will look. If there are any issues with subscribing, contact me ASAP and I will attempt to resolve the problem as best I can - gordilocks@protonmail.com
My email is open to all criticisms, suggestions, hate mail, and government spooks who wish to repent for their sins.
Upcoming works -
At present, I am working on another short Substack post investigating why it is that the government continues to ‘tech harder’, even though it’s mandated surveillance technology has shown not an increase in safer roads, rather, an increase in aggressive driving and truck crashes; I should also have a piece coming out soon at Compact Magazine, bouncing my ideas about Autonomous Vehicles off the work of the philosopher Matthew B Crawford. And tomorrow, July 5, a new episode of Voice Of GO(r)D drops, featuring a roundtable discussion on hitch-hiking and train jumping, with the writer James Pogue, whom you may have seen in the pages of Vanity Fair, Harper’s, and The New York Times, with Tulane philosophy PhD student and commentator Joseph Keegin, as well as bon vivant and Twitter sensation Andy Hickman, who you will remember from my previous episode, ‘Adirondack Supremacy’.
There’s a few other things I’m working on which I can’t discuss right now, but if and when they happen, you guys will be sure to read about it here.
Thanks again!
Congratulations on your growth, Gord. The subscribers, the podcasts, the interviews: it’s well-deserved and hard-earned. Plod onward, brother!
Gord deeply impressed with your Bloomberg interview. Please continue to go into these spaces and do the Lords work. Happy fourth brother to you and your beautiful family may you all have happiness and the causes of happiness